To be honest, outside of the initial excitement surrounding being a (teeny) part of a huge website launch, my decision to move on from TEG was a long time coming, and I don't think any of my close friends were all that surprised when I finally bit the bullet. Don't get me wrong - Danielle and Alaina were (are) absolutely amazing, and when I was invited to tag along with them for events and photo shoots I loved every second of it. But all in all, it boiled down to one thing - I simply am not "The Everygirl" - and in trying to be a part of the site it quickly got to the point that I felt like I was faking being someone that I'm not, and I didn't like that.
Just like every other 20-something female out there, I definitely do have some Everygirl traits... but as I look down at my $5 tshirt, Gap clearance rack pants and $10 Target flats it's pretty clear that I am far from the type of girl that would spend $200 on a dress or a jacket. When I go home at night and order Papa John's or throw some burgers on the grill with Dan it's pretty clear that I am not the girl that's going to whip up a healthy meal with roasted veggies and feta cheese. And when I planned my wedding and bought my dress on ebay, didn't hire a florist or a baker and ordered $20 shoes online, it was insanely clear that I was not (and never would be) the bride that dropped $1,000 on her dress and considered it "budget friendly." I'm a cheapskate, through and through, and really - I'm proud of that.
My final decision to leave The Everygirl happened after the amazing wedding photo shoot I had the honor of assisting on. The entire feature talked about being "budget friendly" - meaning shoes were under $200, dresses were under $1,000, and bridesmaid's dresses were under $300. I'm sorry. That is just not my idea of a budget. I'll be the first to admit I feel some major envy of girls who do have that kind of budget, but there's a big part of me that knows that even if I could afford to spend like that, I wouldn't. I 110% understand that features on The Everygirl are meant to be a guide - not a "YOU MUST BUY THIS NOW" kind of deal. But regardless, it just wasn't me. Outside of the actual website, the in-person stuff was really starting to take a toll on me. I had to fake excitement when someone showed me a blouse and said "I got it on sale - it was only $70!" I found it ridiculous when I attended an event and I was nearly the only one not in Tory Burch or Cole Haan flats ($109 - ON SALE?!? No thank you.) I wanted to scream when someone mentioned that a $200 dress she wore for a night out would likely never be worn again because she didn't want people to see photos from two events with her wearing the same thing. Furthermore, lifestyle blogs are flooded with images of $1,500 armchairs and $200 colored jeans that look nearly identical to something you can find for a fraction of the cost. I don't have that kind of money. I probably never will. And if I do, rest assured I will still troll craigslist for furniture and buy most of my shoes at Target. I get that a lot of it is just dreaming and a big part of what everyone in the blog world is saying is to invest in key pieces and then accessorize by sprinkling in more affordable items... but regardless, that's just not my mindset and I don't know that it ever will be.
There's a whole lot more rambling I can do about my decision, but I'll end it here by saying that I am forever grateful to Danielle and Alaina for giving me the opportunity to be a part of something so awesome. I will continue to checkout The Everygirl each and every day (and so should you!) and gain inspiration from their incredible features, and I can't wait to see what's in store for us readers in the future!
